There’s nothing shocking about seeing steak tartare with tater tots, beets with baba ghanoush, and mapo chicken on the same menu—the wonder is that chef Rob Rubba makes these dishes feel at home next to one another. His quirky style leans most heavily on the Asian pantry (the gnocchi with pork kimchee is justly famous), but Rubba doesn’t forget his roots. The pretty restaurant is named after his late grandmother, and her zucchini-bread recipe is one of the stars of the menu thanks to the chef’s masterful addition—a slathering of foie gras mousse and a sprinkling of bee pollen. Expensive.
Also great: duck dinner for two; English muffin with fried chicken (brunch only); donburi with pulled pork (brunch only).
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
